Barnet deputy council leader Ross Houston has backed a new enforcement and support drive aimed at the owners of the borough’s 5,361 long-term empty homes, as the council battles rising homelessness.
Housing officers visited 100 properties in a single night to check that they were secure, investigate problems such as fly-tipping and vermin, and explain options for bringing them back into use.
5,361 homes empty for six months or more
The council records 5,361 homes that have been empty for more than six months, including at least 313 in probate. Empty-property council-tax premiums can reach 300 per cent, depending on how long a home has been vacant.
Houston said more than 3,000 Barnet households were in temporary accommodation in July and that the council’s cost of providing it had more than tripled since 2023.
Grants of up to £40,000 for owners
Owners may be eligible for refurbishment grants of up to £40,000 if they agree to let the property through the council-linked Bumblebee service for five years.
Houston said enforcement would be used where properties remained empty without good reason and were not maintained. The action preceded World Vacant Homes Day on 8 October.
